Baker’s Basket: Banana Chocolate-chip Oatmeal Muffins

So I recently got back home and realised that I had all the access I could wish for to my baking trays and recipes. I decided to go whip up some breakfast appropriate food, until I laid my eyes on a bag of chocolate chips and the ripe bananas that had been lying in the basket in my kitchen. It’s not fair to say that muffins aren’t breakfast food, but I like to think of them as a quick mood lifter. I especially think that they make for a great personal gift to anyone who’s unwell; I always ensure I drop by a sick friend’s place with a bag of muffins and some soup.

So while the bananas got riper and riper, I whipped out one of my older recipes and decided to share it with you all!

These banana chocolate-chip oatmeal muffins are a bite of heaven, if I may say. While muffins will be muffins, I like to think of these as a healthier option considering the fiber of the oats and the calcium from the bananas. (Consider the chocolate-chips a holiday sin—you’re entirely forgiven.)

These babies take not more than half an hour from start to finish. They make for a delicious morning treat or tea-time delights, and I wouldn’t lie when I say that I’ve been caught eating them as midnight meals.

Give this recipe a try. It’s just 5 simple steps to little pieces of joy.

(Makes 12)

You will need:

2 ripe bananas, mashed (The riper, the better!)

one cup chocolate chips

1.5 cups all purpose flour

1 cup oats (I like to crush them smaller so that I don’t bite into chunks but get smaller, crunchier bits)

3/4 cup demerara sugar (You could use white sugar too but I love the raw flavour of brown sugar, especially when baked)

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

3/4 cup milk (I like using almond milk, it really adds to the flavour. Skimmed milk would work too, or just regular milk if you like!)

less than half cup of oil (Any vegetable oil will do)

1 tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients together: the flour, oats, baking powder & soda, sugar and salt in one bowl.

2. In another bowl, beat the egg lightly for a minute. Pour in the milk, oil and vanilla extract. Give this a stir and add in the mashed bananas. Mix this well.

3. Sift in the dry ingredients mix into the banana & egg mixture. With a large spatula, combine all ingredients well together until the batter is even. Add in the chocolate chips to the mix and give it one last stir.

4. Line a 12-cup muffin tray with paper muffin cups. Pour in the batter evenly leaving some space on top as the muffins are bound to rise.

5. Bake at 180-200 degrees C for about 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick from the centre of the muffins comes out clean.

And that’s all!

I enjoy these with either a cup of black coffee or a glass of warm milk in the morning. It’s the perfect fixer for me, just like baking always is!